Obtaining a Speeder Licence
by JasmineRaven
Summary: Obi-Wan faces his toughest assignment yet: assisting his teenage padawan in obtaining his speeder licence.
1. Chapter 1

**Obtaining a Speeder Licence - Part 1**

"I have a bad feeling about this," Obi-Wan groaned in dread as he sat in the passenger seat of the speeder.

Anakin jumped into the seat beside him. "Relax, Master. I've been piloting nearly my whole life," he assured his anxious mentor. "I'm sure I can handle a speeder. These things basically pilot themselves."

Obi-Wan took a deep breath to calm his nerves. Anakin's complete confidence in his own abilities only made him more anxious. He despised flying in unpredictable circumstances and, although he considered Coruscant traffic to be fairly predictable, nothing involving Anakin was ever truly predictable. "I don't doubt your abilities, young padawan," he explained. "But people don't often fail their speeder licence examinations because of their incompetence; they fail because of their recklessness."

"I will be careful, Master. I promise," Anakin said in a serious tone. "I will listen to all your commands."

 _That would be a first,_ Obi-Wan thought to himself, before making a conscious effort to push all negative thoughts out of his mind. _Everything will be fine. Anakin is an excellent pilot,_ he assured himself. "Now, Anakin, I want you to carefully reverse the speeder out of the speeder dock, and remember to look behind you. It's important to be aware of your surroundings, because you never know when..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Obi-Wan found himself forcefully thrown back against his seat, then lurched forward as the vehicle came to a brief stop, before they began speeding off down the skylane. "I thought you were going to listen to all my commands," he said, reminding his padawan of the promise he made only seconds ago.

"I'm sorry, Master," Anakin apologised sincerely, before cracking a cheeky grin. "In my defence, I only promised to _listen_ to your commands, not to follow them."

"I suppose that shouldn't surprise me," Obi-Wan sighed. He looked ahead at the vehicles swarming like insects in the air. The traffic flowed like a choreographed dance, with everyone moving in turn. Although most people found Coruscant most visually impressive at night, with the vibrant lights from the buildings illuminating the darkened world, it appeared almost equally impressive during the day, with the towering buildings against a beautiful background of light blue sky.

Without warning, the speeder hurled forward at an alarmingly fast rate and then halted abruptly, pulling Obi-Wan's attention back to the task at hand. The front of their speeder almost touched the vehicle in front of them. "Anakin, be careful!" he shouted.

"Sorry, Master," Anakin apologised, yet again. "I just wanted to get moving a little faster."

"Well, this isn't a podrace," Obi-Wan said sternly. "This speeder shouldn't even be capable of going that fast with its speed capabilities."

"I might have done a bit of tinkering before we left," Anakin confessed, keeping his eyes focussed forward to avoid his master's disappointed glare.

Obi-Wan shook his head and decided not to continue the conversation further, for the sake of his dwindling sanity and patience. "Perhaps we should start with the lesson," Obi-Wan suggested. "Let's start with overtaking. You must make sure you have enough space to overtake safely and watch for traffic in the skylane beside you, especially if the vehicles are travelling in the opposite direction. If your speeder is equipped with indicators, it is wise to use them, even though people tend not to. I think it's that switch there." He gestured to a cylindrical switch positioned beside the control joysticks. Now, when I tell you, I want you to very carefully... ANAKIN!" Obi-Wan felt the speeder shoot up straight into the air, then descend rapidly to slot in front of the speeder he had instructed Anakin to overtake. The driver of the speeder now behind them cursed wildly.

"Sorry about that, Master," Anakin apologised instantly, before his master had the opportunity to chastise him. "I thought that method of overtaking might be more effective. It suits the name better, when you think about it. You go over the vehicle in front, instead of going around them. Don't worry, I'll try it your way now." He flicked on the speeder's indicator and skilfully manoeuvred his way around the vehicle in front of them. "Was that okay, Master?" Anakin asked innocently, turning his head momentarily to face Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan stared in shock, his mouth agape. He was still recovering from Anakin's wild first attempt at overtaking, and now his padawan had performed the manoeuvre perfectly. "Yes, uh, that was perfect," Obi-Wan stuttered, deciding it was better to remain positive and compliment his padawan's successful attempt. _We can discuss all his mistakes in one big lecture... I mean, reflection, at the end of the lesson,_ he told himself.

"Master, I've been thinking," Anakin began. "Is it really necessary that I get a speeder licence? If I needed to fly a speeder, couldn't I just borrow one without anyone knowing and fly it anyway?"

"By _borrowing_ , you mean _stealing_ ," Obi-Wan responded. "And if you were caught doing that, you would be charged with both theft and flying without a licence. This way, you'd only receive one fine, not two."

Anakin nodded. "Fair point, Master," he said agreeably. "So, what are you going to teach me next?"

"We're going to try changing into a skylane below us," Obi-Wan informed him. He clutched the side of the speeder in early preparation for Anakin's next absurd move. "What you need to do is look for a gap in the traffic, but be sure to maintain your speed, which shouldn't be a challenge for you. When it's safe, descend carefully into the... ANAKIN! What did I just say?!" It felt as if his stomach rose up into his throat, as they plunged down into the traffic below, the speeder in a completely vertical position. Obi-Wan tightened his grip on the side of the speeder and closed his eyes. _Please don't let me die like this_ , he silently pleaded. _I think I deserve to go out with a bit of dignity. I can see it on my tombstone now: 'Here lies Obi-Wan Kenobi, who plunged to his death after being flung from a speeder and splattering all over the ground in the Coruscant Underworld. May he rest in peace._

At last, the speeder slowed, regained its horizontal position, and began travelling with the normal flow of traffic. Obi-Wan's heart pounded in his chest. "You passed the theory examination with flying colours... so I know you're not stupid," he stammered breathlessly. "So do you enjoy blatantly ignoring the rules, or do you genuinely want me to die?"

Anakin looked at Obi-Wan, a grave expression on his face. "Don't say things like that, Master. I care about you. I promise, I would never fly dangerously enough for you to end up thrown from the speeder."

"Yes, but your frightening recklessness is enough to induce a heart attack," Obi-Wan responded, running his hands through his hair.

"My timing is always perfect though, you must admit," Anakin bragged, a smile returning to his face.

"What you call perfect timing, I call a very near miss, or a brush with death," Obi-Wan replied. He glanced down at his wrist chrono. "We better finish the lesson there. Looks like I'm going to be a bit late for my meeting with Master Yoda."

"No you won't!" Anakin exclaimed cheerfully. "Don't worry, Master. I'll get you there on time. I know a short cut." He slammed his foot down on the accelerator and zoomed off. He began to skilfully weave his way through the traffic. Within five minutes, they were parked outside of the Jedi temple. Anakin turned to look at Obi-wan. The man's hair stood up almost straight. He clung to the side of the speeder so tight that his knuckles glowed white. He seems to struggle to catch his breath. "Are you okay, Master?" Anakin asked, concerned.

"I'm alive," Obi-Wan mumbled at last, still in shock from the sudden high speed journey. "I was going to suggest we you try reverse parallel parking, but why do that we you can just come to a skidding halt outside your destination?" he commented sarcastically. He tried to stand up to get out of the speeder, but his legs shook too vigorously for him to remain upright.

"Are you coming, Master?" Anakin called, jumping out of the cockpit.

"No, I think I'll just sit here for a while," he replied, closing his eyes in an attempt to relax.

"Well, thank you for the lesson. I can't wait for the next one! I'm sure I'll be ready for that licence examination in no time," Anakin said excitedly.

Obi-Wan rested his head in his hands. His moment of peace was suddenly disturbed by the sound of a vehicle pulling up behind him, followed by someone tapping on the side of the speeder.

"Excuse me, sir," the person, dressed in a Coruscant Security Officer uniform greeted him. "Your vehicle was seen travelling significantly over the speed limit. I'm afraid I'm going to have to issue you with a speeding fine."

Obi-Wan let out a long sigh and gracefully accepted the ticket. _Anakin is going to pay for this._


	2. Chapter 2

**Obtaining a Speeder Licence - Part 2**

"Please never do that again," Obi-Wan groaned, still hesitating to release his grip on the side of the speeder.

"I followed your instructions!" Anakin exclaimed in frustration. "You said, to do a U-turn, I needed to turn 180 degrees. That is exactly what I did."

"Well, I didn't think I needed to specify that it should be done horizontally," Obi-Wan retorted. "You could've killed us!"

His second attempt at helping Anakin prepare for his speeder licence examination seemed to be no more successful than the first. Anakin deemed flying a speeder the normal, responsible way 'too boring' and insisted on using his 'ingenious skills' to make the experience 'more enjoyable'. However, his stunts only made Obi-Wan feel more anxious, stressed and often nauseous.

"I'm sorry, Master," Anakin apologised. "Look on the bright side..."

Obi-Wan shot his padawan a withering look. "By bright side, are you referring to the headlights of the oncoming traffic you keep swerving into, or the white light I'm going to see at the moment of my death?" he asked critically.

Anakin rolled his eyes and, much to Obi-Wan's surprise, refrained from serving up a witty response. Instead, he kept his eyes focussed ahead.

The speeder glided gently through the air along the straight stretch of skylane. Vibrant lights beamed from nearly all directions, chasing away the night's inky darkness. Far above the building tops, however, the night sky spread across the city, like a black blanket.

"Here is an opportunity for you to practise merging," Obi-Wan declared, pointing ahead at where their skylane and the skylane beside them combined in the distance. "As the traffic moves together to form one lane, you must give way to vehicles in front of you. If the front of their speeder is ahead of yours, then they go in front of you. Does that make sense?"

Anakin nodded affirmatively. "It makes perfect sense, Master. It's just like a race!" he exclaimed. "If you're in front, you win."

He shook his head. "No, Anakin, that's not what I..."

Anakin forced his foot down on the accelerator, and the speeder surged forward. Viewing it as a competition, a male Balosar travelling in the skylane beside them also increased his speed. Anakin fought to stay in front, and he appeared to be winning the impromptu race, until he found himself stuck behind the speeder of an elderly lady, travelling at an incredibly slow speed. He weaved his way around her speeder in a quick, yet smooth, movement. He reached the merging point at the same time as the Balosar, but managed to surge forward and slot in front.

"Did you see that, Master?!" he shouted joyously, throwing his arms in the air in celebration.

"Anakin! That was completely irresponsible! Obi-Wan snapped furiously. "There is no excuse to be travelling at such a ridiculous speed, and it is certainly not acceptable to race someone! You've already received one speeding ticket. And you need both hands to control a speeder, so stop waving your arms like a maniac."

"Actually, I think if you looked at the speeding ticket closely, you'd see it's made out to a man named Obi-Wan Kenobi," Anakin said with a laugh.

The master shot his padawan another withering look. "You're really starting to test my patience, young padawan. Never fly that fast again, unless it's an emergency."

"Well, if I'm ever caught speeding, you could just pretend you're dying," Anakin suggested.

"That's not going to take an awful lot of pretending," he replied, with his usual wit. He looked over at Anakin. Though his padawan's face displayed an expression of seriousness and focus, Obi-Wan could sense the boy's discouraged feelings. _Maybe I need to be a little less demeaning,_ he thought to himself. _He's only trying to have fun._ He placed his hand on Anakin's shoulder. "Good overtaking though," he complimented.

A smile beamed across Anakin's face. "That old lady was going ridiculously slow," he laughed. "If you fly that slow when you get old, Master, I will personally fly you everywhere to save you the embarrassment."

"I'll have you know I intend on being a very cool old man," Obi-Wan said, stifling a grin.

A brief moment of relaxing silence washed over them. The whirring of speeders, the chatter of those enjoying a night out, and the faint sound of music coming from various clubs and shops, all combined to create the symphony of the city. Obi-Wan closed his eyes, enjoying a moment of peace. However, his peace was soon disturbed by Anakin flicking on the radio and blasting music out of the speakers, the powerful sound causing the whole speeder to vibrate.

" _Jee bacaka porko winba an Jee tee caie kantasa. Uba baua whoka caiot tee taa_!" he sang along, swaying from side to side in time with the music.

"Anakin, please turn that distasteful rubbish off," Obi-Wan groaned in annoyance. "Besides, loud music is a distraction when flying."

"You need to loosen up a bit," Anakin said, nudging him with his elbow playfully. "Try singing along. You might enjoy it, Master."

"I couldn't sing along even if I tried," he responded. "Now, focus on flying."

Suddenly, a red light on the control panel began to flash intermittently, accompanied by a loud, repetitive beep. Both Anakin and Obi-Wan's eyes widened in terror. A wisp of smoke rose from the front of the speeder, followed by a crackling spark.

"What's going on?!" Obi-Wan shouted, panicking.

"Looks like an engine malfunction," Anakin replied. He looked around frantically in search of a safe place to park the speeder. He spotted a mostly empty parking bay and started heading towards it. As he neared the parking bay, he pressed his foot down on the brake, but the vehicle's speed did not change. He pressed it again. Nothing. "Master, we have a problem. The brakes won't work!" he yelled above the sound of the warning alarm.

Obi-Wan sat in shock, speechless. The speeder was hurtling towards the parking bay at full speed, showing no sign of stopping. _Well, this is it_ , he thought. _This is how I go out._ He felt the jolt of the speeder connecting with the concrete surface of the parking bay. Over the horrible sound of the speeder scraping across the ground, he swore he could hear his padawan shouting at him to jump. With no time to hesitate, he jumped, landing on the concrete, and rolled as far away from the vehicle as he could. The speeder connected with the wall and exploded, sending fiery blasts spraying in every direction.

"Master! Are you alright?" Anakin called frantically, once the smoke had died down. "Oh, thank the Force, you didn't die!"

Obi-Wan pulled himself to his feet and brushed the ash off his clothes. "Yes, well, I suppose there's always next time," he commented.

The padawan put his arm around his master's shoulders. "How about 'thanks Anakin for saving my rear end'?"

"Thanks Anakin, for bruising my rear end."

"Not my fault you landed on your backside."

"Well, it's sure better than landing on my head."

oOo

"And no Jedi mind tricks were involved?" Obi-Wan questioned, stroking his beard.

"Not one," Anakin declared, waving the licence card in his master's face. "I passed fair and square. I have you to thank for that."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "No, you naturally have incredible piloting skills. I should've had more faith in your abilities." He rested his hand on his padawan's shoulder. "I'm proud of you, Anakin."

The young man smiled. "That's great, because there's something I have to tell you..."

"What?"

Anakin hesitated. "Well, the licence examiner kind of passed out during the examination," he began.

Obi-Wan's eyes widened. "Passed out?"

"Yeah... I might've changed into a lower skylane quite fast, but I would've missed the chance if I'd gone slow," Anakin explained. "The examiner got scared and passed out. Luckily, when he came to, he didn't remember a thing. So, I just convinced him everything had gone smoothly."

Obi-Wan glared at him sternly. Well, at least, he tried to. In the end, the man couldn't contain his laughter. Somehow, despite reckless lane changes, unorthodox overtaking and U-turns, crashing and exploding a speeder, and scaring his licence examiner to the point of losing consciousness, his padawan had managed to obtain his speeder licence. He knew he should lecture Anakin on the importance of honesty, but the situation was just too amusing. _Besides_ , he thought to himself, _what's the point of being disappointed, when I can just be proud?_


End file.
